Iron Man anyone????

we haven't seen this..but are getting desperate for a movie in a theater! The last really good movies we've seen haven't been sci-fi: persepolis; atonement; juno; eastern promises; across the universe (ok...almost fantasy..and if you give it a chance...really well done..ignore the plot if you want and take it as the best set of music videos ever strung together).
Did just finish Charles Stross "The Atrocity Archives" - Lovecraft meets Deighton meets Pratchett...pretty OK..but a good flic would be, well, good.

I am the only person in all of America that didn't like the movie. It should have been a PBS special on suit welding. I will have to say that I am a comic book freak and I don't like Tony Stark.... yea, yea I know he's not a real person.
So I did go into the movie with a big chip on my shoulder. My husband (king of the nerds) thought it was the greatest thing since sliced cheese. (sliced bread would be The Empire Strikes Back)

Won't watch another comic book adaptation. EVER.

Confining my viewing to movies made without one eye on video game tie-ins, action figures, etc. There's too much of this crap about, films meant to appeal to juvenile-minded males who want to "put their brains on hold" or whatever euphemism is currently in vogue to rationalize spending ten bucks staring at CGI-filled, superficial eye candy.

We complain about the poor quality of movies, lack of adult fare and meanwhile line up to see the equivalent of mental junk food. I'm voting with my wallet, taking that tenner and ordering a copy of Carl Dreyer's "Day of Wrath" from an on-line dealer or finally laying my hands on the original "Thief of Baghdad" (no, not Dick Cheney, I'm talking about the 1925 Douglas Fairbacks classic, a movie that mesmerized a young Ray Bradbury, Harryhausen, etc.).

Saw it, but I was just humoring the boyfriend. It wasn't as boring for me as I expected (I'm more of a depressing foreign film person), but it was nothing to get excited about. I managed to enjoy it by going in there to enjoy spending time with my dude, rather than dwelling on the movie's obvious flaws.

i really liked V for Vendetta...Alan Moore whinging notwithstanding...And i liked Sin City..but those are about the only two comic/graphic novel adaptations or the vaguely SF type that i've liked...(on the other hand, i think a good argument could be made for Persepolis being the best and most important movie of 2007). But we'll probably to see the latest Chow kung-fu comedy (C7?) - he did Shaolin Soccer and Kung fu hustle previously and Iron Man.

This is going to be OT and I will try to keep it short, but it's about comics, but not sci-fi.

I remember waaaaaay back when I was a younker someone published some spiffy comics called something like Classic Comics or something. They always had a story about two dudes in dreds, one white and one black riding lions and tigers and stuff all around Africa. The first integrated comic I can remember.

I read some of those comics, there was "Hamlet" about a guy who killed his wife's husband to avenge the death of his father, another one was MacBeth, about more crazy people, and another one I read like this was "King Lear" yet more crazy people. They must have got their storytellers and artists from the nuthouse. Anyway, the point of all this is I heard not too long ago that some guy, Bill something or other, (not Stan Lee, unfortunately) had turned several of them into plays and movies. I hear they're pretty good.

Those comics are adaptations of the Shakespeare plays of the same name.

Looks like it could be one of the better comic book movies to me. I'm definitely going to go see it w/my friends. I wouldn't expect anything more out of it than what it is though, popcorn. The rewrite of the origin story to Iraq looks interesting, and seems realistic, but I'm going to wait and see before I pass judgement.

It was OK, but nothing special. Most of it concerns the (rewritten) origin of Iron Man; there's not all that much superhero-fighting-supervillan stuff at all.

#6 - geneg,

Some of the plays are pretty good, but that guy Bill deviated a little too far from the source material for me. If they're going to put on a play based on a comic, why can't they respect the freakin' source material?!

I loved it. I read the Iron Man comics when I was a wee lass (like five years ago), and loved them. He's always been my favorite super hero, and I thought the movie was smart and funny and fantastic.

One of my top 3 best superhero movies ever (probably number 1 at the moment). It's just fun. And well-done.

#11

The best superhero movie is the one that started all of these comic to movie adaptations - Batman. Extremely funny, excellent acting (especially by Jack Nicholson), great story.

#12 It's definitely in the top 5, but I have issues with Kim Basinger's performance, and a few other nitpicky things. But you're right, Nicholson as the Joker alone was worth the whole film.

I saw Iron Man today and really enjoyed it. I have one glaring plot hole that annoyed me, but eh...I'll live. And no, I won't go into it, as I don't want to give out a spoiler. I would put this in my top 3 of comic book movies that I've seen.

And the scene after the end credits was pretty darned cool, too.

I've seen it twice -well worth the $10 each time. I'm not particulary an Iron Man fan, but thought the plot, action and acting well above par for these types of movies. The special effects took it over the top. Also the contrast between both the characters and sets provided some much needed variation not usually seen in superhero flicks. The cameo after the creds was worth the wait for me - but for the kids, not so much (not knowing the storyline it just opened up a lot of questions).

#12 - Rojse,

The one that started it all was the Christopher Reeve Superman movies.

I have to say, the Tim Burton Batman movie hasn't aged very well. Love Tim Burton and Jack Nicholson, but honestly, it just feels like Tim doesn't connect with the movie he's making.

I remember that it had been years since I saw the Burton Batmans and bought the DVDs when the special editions were released. We didn't make it through the first movie. (Gotta love the Prince songs though!)

I think the best of the superhero movies is Sam Raimi's take on SpiderMan. I didn't care for the sequel and haven't watched the third, but that first movie perfectly captured the feeling I got when I was a kid reading the reprints of the early Stan Lee/Steve Ditko/Jack Kirby stories.

I will see it eventually, but superhero movies are not a priority on the list of must see movies for me. I do like Robert Downey and Ironman, so there's a good chance I might be able to enjoy. I've just consumed way too much superduper material to be so excited about them as films. Granted, CGI enables a lot of these characters and stories to finally be done some justice visually, but in a way it seems like a pyrrhic victory to me as comics themselves have perhaps reached the end of the road as an active and relevant form of entertainment.

#16

I stand corrected - Superman was the first.

Still, Batman was an excellent movie, and I don't see why you think it has aged badly - Gotham city was always supposed to look grubby, polluted and ugly.

#18 - I don't see why you think it has aged badly...

It's because watching it now, I could really see that Tim Burton was out of his element. Batman especially (though Batman Returns suffers a little from this too) commits the worst sin for a super hero movie: It's kind of boring. I thought the same thing when it was a new release, but figured maybe it was just me.

It has nothing to do with the sets or costumes or anything. They are beautifully done. But honestly when I watch it I just don't feel connected to it in any way. I don't know how to explain it, but watch Batman and then watch Mars Attacks! or Sleepy Hollow. Tim Burton was much more into those two and it shows.

With Batman he was a hired gun directing something he wouldn't have if the paycheck weren't there. Batman Returns doesn't have this problem quite as much because he refused to direct it unless he was given free reign over everything, including the story.

With SpiderMan you could feel that Sam Raimi really seemed to like what he was doing. It might have been a goofball movie, but it had a heart that Batman was lacking. I know this all sounds vague, but it is something you can feel when you watch certain movies.

i agree w/ #19 - i like a lot of tim burton..including some others hate (and dislike some a lot too...smirking johnny and the chocolate factory?). But that's a problem i've had w/ most super hero films. The first spidey was pretty OK but i didn't feel compelled to see the 2nd. Mostly i just want to go to a cinema...and not have it be a total drag.
oddly, perhaps, my fave tim burton, is the not so successful Corpse Bride, followed by fear and loathing.
fear and loathing WAS terry gilliam..as I mentioned in an earlier thread. old and braindead. sorry.

#20 - See, I'm not alone. (But Fear and Loathing... was Terry Gilliam.)

Mars Attacks! is the Tim Burton I like that isn't so loved by others. I'm not so crazy about Batman and the much praised Big Fish myself.

Netflix is shipping his version of Sweeney Todd to me. I'm really not so sure about Johnny Depp singing and the only musicals I really enjoyed were The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Little Shop of Horrors. Hopefully murder and unintentional cannibalism will be as entertaining as transvestites and man-eating plants.

sweeney todd was a snuff film set to music...wonderfully done and...yuck....

I've got my copy of Slim Whitman's "Rose Marie" hooked up to a loud speaker system that will kill any Martian within 100 feet of my house.

"Be Prepared", that's my motto.

we went to see Iron Man tonight and enjoyed it a great deal. I appreciated the light touches, esp. in the interplay between Downey and Paltrow who looked like they were having fun going somewhat against type. We probably won't go see it again by ourselves..but if friends wanted to see it, would have no problems going again. Defn. bring my own food in...$30.00 for a movie/drinks/popcorn is ... excessive. Probably my favorite of the movies made from the classic marvel and/or dc canon - largely because it WAS very well done in re acting, effects w/out taking itself seriously, but not treating the film as a farce either. So..two thumbs up from P'boro, NC.

Good grief! This shows how much I keep up with the film world. I kept seeing this thread and wondered why the SF group was talking 'bout an old Black Sabbath song. OK, I have to ask. Did they use that song in the soundtrack?

actually - i'm not a sabbath fan..but they must have..i saw Sabbath credited in the music credits. Really the only "name" i'm noticed that i remember now 7 hrs later... w/ was Tom Morello as the "added" guitar player to the house band.
(This IS decades ago..but my favorite sabbath story doesn't involve me..rather ~ 1972(?) they came to W&Mary, a friend went to see them tripping as was often the case then (and probably now) - went out and bought all their lps the next day at the recordstore i was managing and then she realized she couldn't listen to 'em in an unaltered state..)

The Sabbath song is certainly used in the trailer. The riff is unmistakeable.

They do use the Black Sabbath song. Far more speculation than you probably need about the relation between the song and the superhero can be found here.

Black Sabbath song = Negro Spiritual?

Thanks all. I might break down and go see Ironman. #26- I remember someone telling me they took some of their friends to a Sabbath concert. The friends were not familiar with the group. After a bit they turned and commented through the noise that this was a really long song. The band was on their fifth song of the evening.